Project Grant 97T12001

This $5,372,000 Project Grant awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Voluntary School and Child Care Lead Testing and Reduction Grant Program (CFDA 66.444) will fund the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) to test for lead in drinking water at child care centers, provide training on preventing lead exposure, and support corrective actions to remediate outlets with elevated lead levels. The grant aims to reduce the potential financial burden on child care centers in complying with state requirements, while also reducing children's exposure to lead. Key activities include outreach to child care centers, developing a quality assurance project plan, testing lead levels at priority facilities, reporting results, and helping centers develop corrective action plans. Funding will also support lead remediation at fixtures that exceed action levels. The intended beneficiaries are infants and children at child care centers across California.